Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-06-24
CHAPTER NNII.
SOLOMON : TREAS SURE -CUAMBEn.

sOLoMON'S TREASURE CHAMBER.
While we had been engaged in getting
over our fright, and in examining the grisIy
wonders OF the place, Gagool had been diff
tercntly occupied. Somehow or othcr-for
she was ma,yrouSly active when She chose
She scrambled on To- the great table and
made her way To where our departed friend
rwaIa was placed under the drip. to see,
suggested Good, how he was ''pirkling." or
for some dark purpose of her own Then
she came hobbIing back, stopping now and
again 10 address 4 remark Che tenor of
which | could not catch) Ia one or other of
the shrouded forms, Just as you or | might
greet an old acquaintance. Having gone
through this mysterious and horrible currmo-
nv, she SUu't'rd herself down on the table
Immediate, tn ier the white Death and be-
gan, 50 far rs | could make out t. offer mp
PRAYERS to it. The spectacle of This wicked
Old creature pouring out suppuc&tuus (pvii
ones no doubt 10 the arch enemy of man
kind, was So uncanny that it cause IL to
hasten our inspection. Nov, GIgOoI, said
!, in Il low votcc-SOmcl!ow one dill not dare
tn speak above whisper in that place
lead us Ia the chamber"
The old creature promptly scrambled
down off the table
MY lords are not afraid" She said leer-
ing mp into my face.
Lead on.
food, my lords aud She hobpled round
to the back OF the great Death Here is
the chamber; let M, lords light the lamp
and enter" and she placed the gourd fun of
oil upon the floor, and leaned herself against
the side of the cave. | took out a match. of
which We still had few in box. AMI lit
the rush wick, and then looked for the door
way, but there was nothing before us but
the solid rock. Gagool grImel The way
is there, my lords.
DO not Jest with us" | said sternly.
II j"St not. my Lords Sec~ and she
pointed ut the rock.
As she did 81, on holding up the lamp we
perceived that Il mass of stone was SLOWLY
rising from the floor and vanishing into the
RICK above. where doubtless there was a
cavity prepared To receive i. The mass was
of the width at gnOd-SiZc ,opr, about ten
feet high amt not less than lIy. feet thick
1t must have weighed at least twrut, al
thirty tons amt WAS clearly moved upnn
somc simple balance principle. probably the
same rs that upon which the opening gmd
shutting of an ordinary modern window is
arranged. How the principle was st in mo.
kltI. tl Ctiill~t none tl lis NsiN. IA iItllt
careful Ia avoid that; bur have lutte doubt
that there WAS some very simple lrvt I. which
was mnycd ever so little hv prcS>ur, on
secret spot, thereby throwing additional
weight on Ia the hidden countrrhalanccS
amt causing TIE whole huge mass 10 be lifted
from the grnun,l. VERY >iowN amt gently
the great Stone ritSed itself TIL t last it had
vanished a tnSether aud a DIR, hnlr pre-
scented itself to lis in the place Wh.c it had
tilled
Enter, white men from the stars" said
Gagged, ADVANCING iatn the doorway; '.but
first hear your servant, Ga col the old. The
bright stones that We VIII 50 wcr, dug cut
OF the pit over which the Silent Ones are SET.
ana stored here, know not ny whom. But
once has this place been entered since the
time that those who stored the stones de
parted III haste, leaving them behind. The
report OF the treasure went down among the
people who lived in the country from age TO
age, but none knew where the chamber was.
nor the secret Of the door. Bat 1t happened
that white man reached this country from
over the mountains, pCrchance he. too. came
from the stars, and was well received BY the
king of the day. lie it is who's yonter."
and she pointed to the fifti. king at the table
OF the dead. And it came to pass that he
and woman of the country who was with
him came TO this place, and that by chance
the woman learned the secret OF the door-a
thousand years might We search, but We
should never lind it Then the white man
entered with the woman, and found the
stones, and filled with stones the skin of Il
small goat, which the woman had with her
TO hold food. And as ne was going from
the chamber he took up one more stone,
large one, and held it TO his head Here
she paused
Well l asked. breathless with interest
as we all we've, what happened TO Da Sill
vestra?'
The old hag started at the mention of the
name